The Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount describes a behavior which is in accordance
with
the spirit of the Law devoid of hypocrisy. For that is what the
command
in Matt 5:48 to "be perfect" really means. In my opinion the
primary
purpose of the sermon is to humiliate the religiously proud. For in
the
Jewish society there was a certain elitist presumption of one's
righteous
standing before God based upon only a surface obedience to the Law,
whereas
the behavior of many was contrary to the spirit of the Law, being
hypocritical.
And the same could be said of many in the religious community today,
not
to mention in the society in general.

The Sermon starts off with what may be described as a paradox of
blessings.
Many Jews considered it blessed to be rich, happy and well thought
of by
others. But often the opposite is true.

Re 3:17 You say, 'I
am rich;
I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'But you do not realize that you are
wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Blessings

Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:1-3Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the
mountain.When he had sat down, his disciples came to
him.He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is, blessed are those who realize they are poor in spirit.
For
in rebuking the church of Laodicea Jesus said, "You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a
thing.’ But you
do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and
naked."
Rev
3:17

To be poor in spirit draws one to God, for "The
LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are
crushed in spirit."
Ps
34:18 and "this is the one the Lord
esteems:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at His
word."Is
66:2 Often these attitudes are lacking to various degrees
among those
who are materially wealthy or otherwise rich in the eyes of the
world.

Sorrowful

Mt 5:4Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be
comforted.

"Blessed" means "Fortunate", as we see the Greek being
translated
in Acts 26:2 where Paul says, "King
Agrippa,
I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as
I make
my defense against all the accusations of the Jews"

Yet what is fortunate about each of these
statements
in the Sermon on the Mount has to do with the future, which
elsewhere in
the New Testament the Christian experiences as "hope" -
that feeling
of anticipation of a future event of which one has faith will
come to pass.

What is the "mourning" of he alludes? It is not worldly sorrow,
like
one's regret over the loss of material things, or like Judas who
felt regret
for what he did, but did not repent but rather committed suicide.
It is
written, "Godly sorrow brings repentance
that leads
to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings
death." 2Cor
7:10 In fact an example of godly sorrow can be seen in the
context
of this verses in 2Corinthians. For Paul writes, "Even
if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though
I did regret
it— I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little
while— yet
now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because
your sorrow
led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as
God intended
and so were not harmed in any way by us." 2Cor 7:8,9
He wrote
this concerning their inappropriate toleration of sexual sin.

Sometimes God intentionally tries to make you sorrowful for your
own
good. Sometimes we also need to do that intentionally as well. Do
you have
the kind of sorrow that leads you to repenting from sin, or does
such correction
only produce worldly sorrow, bitterness or anger?

Meekness

Mt 5:5Blessed are the gentle, For they shall inherit
the earth.

The "meek" are the humble.

"Meekness toward God is that
disposition
of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good,
and therefore
without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those
wholly relying
on God rather than their own strength to defend them against
injustice.
Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is
permitting the injuries
they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and
that He will
deliver His elect in His time. (Is. 41:17, Lu. 18:1-8)
Gentleness
or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and
self-interest.
It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the
situation. The
gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work
of the Holy
Spirit, not of the human will. (Gal. 5:23)"Online
Bible Lexicon

Interestingly also is that the same Greek word used here for "meek"
(praus)
is
also used for "gentle" in Peter's instruction to Christian women.

1Peter 3:3,4 Your
beauty
should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and
the wearing
of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of
your inner
self, the unfading beauty of a gentle (praus)
and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Seeking Righteousness

Mt 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness, For they shall be filled.

In the next chapter Jesus will say, "Seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness" Mt 6:33a Likewise
Isaiah
prophecies saying, "Seek the LORD
while
He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked
forsake
his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to
the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will
abundantly
pardon." Is 55:6,7

If a person is looking for something to eat, it's because he's
hungry.
Satisfying one's hunger may take some effort. Thus seeking after
the LORD's
righteousness is not a purely passive activity. In Jesus' day
people would
literally follow him around, sacrificing their time and other
activities
in order to be instructed of the LORD.

Seeking after the LORD is not in vain. It will inevitably be
worth the
effort.

"Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap
in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek
the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you." Hosea
10:12

Merciful

Mt 5:7Blessed are the merciful, For they shall
obtain
mercy.

The mercy spoken of here (eleew) means
to
"feel sympathy with the misery of another, esp. such sympathy as
manifests
itself in act, less freq. in word." Online Bible
Lexicon

This is what the LORD Almighty
says:
‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one
another. Do
not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.
In your
hearts do not think evil of each other.’ Zec 7:9,10

Pure in Heart

Mt 5:8Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall
see God.

Ps 24:4"Who may ascend the hill of
the
LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has
clean hands
and a pure heart ..."

Clean hands refer to one's behavior and actions, whereas a pure
heart
speaks of one's desires, intentions, and motivations. A pure heart
is that
which is free from evil desires, having only good intentions and
godly
motives.

While developing a pure heart is progressive, it is nonetheless
something
which the Christian is actively pursing, as Peter writes, "Since
you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit in
sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a
pure heart,
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through
the word of God which lives and abides forever,"1Peter
1:22,23

And thus a significant part of developing a pure heart
incorporates
1. fleeing from the lusts of the flesh, and
2. spending time with likeminded Christians.
3. spending time in the Word of God

"Flee also youthful lusts; but
pursue
righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the
Lord out of
a pure heart."2Tim 2:22

Peace Makers

Mt 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be
called children of God.

Peacemaking is not to be confused with
those who
surrender to the enemy for the sake of peace, nor should we
compromise
the truth. It does not say, "Blessed are the compromisers".
Trying to make
peace between man and God will inevitably cause conflicts as
Jesus said,
"Do
not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to
bring
peace but a sword."Mt 10:34
Worldly peace is not what Jesus is offering.
But through faith in Christ he offers peace with God and
consequently peace
among those who are in Christ. For "having
been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus
Christ" Rom 5:1

"Let us therefore make every effort to do
what
leads to peace and to mutual edification." Rom
14:19 And furthermore, "Make
every
effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without
holiness no
one will see the Lord." Heb
12:14

Persecuted

Mt 5:10-12Blessed are those who have been persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.Blessed are you when people reproach you,
persecute
you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is
your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the
prophets who
were before you.

As I said, this is the kind of effect one should expect when
attempting
the reconcile man with God. The Bible teaches us that "everyone
who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted."
2Tim 3:12 Of course people are persecuted from many other
reasons,
and mostly not for the reasons alluded to here. But if one walks
as Jesus
and his apostle and the prophets, this is what one can expect from
the
world. And why does the world hate such people. Perhaps primarily
for this
reason. Jesus said, "the world hates me
because I
testify that what it does is evil." John 7:7 and "Everyone
who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light
for fear
that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:20

Salt

Mt 5:13You are the salt of the earth, but if
the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted?It is then good for nothing, but to be cast
out
and trodden under the feet of men.

Mark notes that Jesus adds, "Have salt in
yourselves,
and be at peace with each other."Mark 9:50 Thus
they are
"salt" in the sense that they have salt in them.

Salt itself can't actually lose its saltiness due to its very
nature.
But it turns out "If" here is third class conditional in Greek
grammar.
Meaning he's referring to a purely hypothetical situation, and not
one
which ever necessarily occurs. That is if, hypothetically, salt
were to
lose its saltiness it would be thrown out.

However one could imagine that which is identified as "salt"
(alleged
Christians or community of Christians) losing its saltiness. If
right doctrine
were "watered down", it would lose its saltiness, as in fact it
had through
the centuries of various flavors of "Christianity".

The metaphor of salt and light is one of purpose or usefulness.
We may
forget that we are here to serve God, but if we lose our
usefulness then
judgment is incurred.

Light

Mt 5:14-16You are the light of the world. A city located
on a hill can’t be hidden.Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under
a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are
in the
house.Even so, let your light shine before men; that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.

Paul writes, "Do all things without
complaining
and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless,
children
of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation,
among
whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word
of life"Php
2:14-16

This is not to say Christians should boast of their good deeds.
Much
to the contrary. Further on Jesus discourages such boasting. But
the fact
is that if you are acting as a light in a dark place, you will
inevitably
be placed in a position of public scrutiny. People look to those
who are
active in doing good deeds, placing them on a pedestal.

The LORD says in Isaiah 58:10, "if
you
spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs
of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will
become like
the noonday."

The Spirit of the Law: Intro

Mt 5:17-18Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or
the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most
assuredly,
I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one
smallest letter
or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law,
until all
things are accomplished.

The Law has application to the Christian life. But it is the
spirit
of the Law which those born of God naturally live by. Paul gave an
example
of the application of the Law in 1Cor 9:9"For
it is written in the Law of Moses: 'Do not muzzle an ox while it
is treading
out the grain.' Is it about oxen that God is concerned?"
in which
he quotes Deut 25:4, but he applies it to preachers
getting paid
for their ministry, as also he does in 1Tim 5:18 .
Christians are
not to ignore even the least of the commandments of the Law, but
rather
to get at the heart of it, inferring applications appropriate for
children
of God.

Exceedingly Righteous Behavior

Mt 5:19-20Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these
least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called
least in
the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall
be called
great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your
righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you
will enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The righteousness of the Pharisees was one of following the
letter of
the Law rather than the spirit of the Law, which often resulted in
applications
violating the spirit of the law. But how are we to interpret this
surpassing
righteousness? Certainly the positional righteousness we received
through
faith in Christ, which is the forgiveness of our sins, does indeed
surpass
the legalistic performance based righteousness of the law as Paul
has elaborated
greatly upon. However is that what Jesus means? For the emphasis
in these
chapters concerns one's behavior and not simply one's status
before God.

I think rather that Jesus is referring to the righteous
behavior
which is inevitably associated with being born of God. For under
the New
Covenant once one is born of God not only is there forgiveness of
sins,
but also an inevitable effect on their behavior,

This is the covenant I will make
with
them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their
hearts,
and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins
and lawless
acts I will remember no more."Heb
10:16,17

Murder and Anger

Mt 5:21-22You have heard that it was said to the ancient
ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder
shall be
in danger of the judgment.’ But I tell you, that everyone who
is angry
with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment;
and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger
of the
council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of
the fire
of Gehenna.

As Jesus is speaking of the spirit of the Law one has to be
careful
not to interpret his commands in a literal legalistic sense, else
one can
miss the spirit of what he is saying. For he is not replacing one
law with
another law, but rather he is revealing the essence of the law.

The Law speaks of things more or less overtly, such as murder and adultery being
physical acts. But there are non-physical forms of these which though not
necessarily being reckoned in the same degree or treated in the same manner, are
nonetheless in the same categories. As such, Anger is in the
category of Murder. Note however that this is an anger “without a cause”. If there’s cause to
be angry, then be angry. Even God got angry when there was a right cause to do
so. For example it says, “Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”Ps 2:12
But "In your anger do not sin"Eph
4:26a

Reconciliation

Mt 5:23-26If therefore you are offering your gift at the
altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against
you, leave
your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be
reconciled
to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with
your adversary
quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the
prosecutor
deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the
officer, and
you be cast into prison. Most assuredly I tell you, you shall by
no means
get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.

This is right along the lines of Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant of Mat 18, which ended this way, "In
anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until
he should pay back all he owed.This is how my heavenly Father will treat
each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Mt 18:34,35

Though in this case it's the one who sinned against his brother who
is instructed to seek reconciliation, while in the case in Mat 18 the
parable is preceded by Jesus' instructions for the offended party to try
an reconcile with the offender. But if he doesn't listen, then to break
fellowship with the offender. The case here in Mat 5 is speaking to the
offender to seek reconciliation. For God will vindicate innocent
victims of unjustified suffering and as such call the offender to
account for themselves. And to such victims I would say, "Beloved,
do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is
written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."Rom 12:19

Adultery and Sexual Lust

Mt 5:27-30You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall
not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes
at a woman
to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his
heart.

If your right eye causes you to
stumble,
pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more
profitable for
you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole
body to
be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble,
cut it
off, and throw it away from you: for it is profitable for you
that one
of your members should perish, and not your whole body be thrown
into Gehenna.

Sexual Lust is in the category of Adultery. To lust in one's mind
after
a married woman is adulterous. I also infer that if after an
unmarried
woman it is more generally fornication. This would also generally
include
masterbation, as mental lust is involved.

Concerning the right hand and right eye, what is meant is "if it
were
true that..." (This is how the first class conditionals in the
Greek are
to be understood ["Greek Grammar beyond the Basics" Wallace
pg. 690]) This is not to say that it is true, and in fact in this
case
it is not true. For it is not the members of our body that lead us
astray,
but rather the innate sinful nature within us, which is not so
easy to
get rid of as simply cutting off a member. But what is
communicated here
is the seriousness of sin so as to invoke conviction of sin and
fear of
judgment.

Even for those who have not committed acts of sexual immorality,
sexual
lust itself is enough to get them thrown into hell.

Divorce and Adultery

Mt 5:31,32It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his
wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ but I tell you that
whoever
puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality,
makes her
an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away
commits adultery.

This is elaborated upon in the following passages: Matt
19:3-9; Mark
10:2-12; Luke 16:18
The exception clause, found only in Matthew, I deal with in the on
the web page "Marriage,
Divorce
and Adultery"

Laws of Divorce in the Law of Moses:

A priest cannot marry a divorced woman. (Leviticus 21:7)

If a man falsely accuses his new bride of having had premarital
sex with
another man, and the charge is found to be false, then he will
never be
allowed to divorce her. (Deut 22:19) (otherwise, if
proven true,
she is put to death)

A man having premarital sex with a woman not pledged to be
married
must marry the woman and never allowed to divorce (Deut 22:29)
(a
fate worse than death?)

If a divorced woman remarries another man and then gets divorced
again
or this second husband dies, she is not allowed to remarry her
first husband
(Deut 24:4)

Jesus is referring to Deut 24:1 about the certificate of
divorce.
Laws concerning divorce were really a compromise on God's part due
to the
hardness of heart of the Israelites as Jesus notes in Matt 19:8.
Laws concerning divorce were not viewed as giving more freedom, but
rather
restricting the licentious nature of sexual behavior. Notice that
each
law above focuses on prohibitions.

In living a righteous lifestyle exceeding that of the Scribes and
Pharisees,
the Christian cannot get divorced nor remarry for any and every
reason.

Oaths

Mt 5:33-37Again you have heard that it was said to them
of old time,‘You shall not make false vows, but
shall
perform to the Lord your vows,’

but I tell you, don’t swear at all:
neither
by heaven, for it is the throne of God;nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of
his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great
King.Neither shall you swear by your head, for
you
can’t make one hair white or black.

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’
be ‘no.’Whatever is more than these is of the evil
one.

Why make unnecessary oaths? For example, parents often with good
intentions
make promises to their children to give them a sense of security,
but of
which they know they may or may not be able to keep. Don't play
God and
teach your children to play God. Such is a common motivation in
making
oaths concerning things which we have little control over. By
doing so
people put themselves in the place of God, which is the root of
all evil.
To swear by this or that - even by your own head and foot is
foolish, for
even these are not yours but God's.

Oaths are Binding

"If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or
swears an
oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his
word; he
shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." Num
30:2

Thus if one swears "till death do you part", it is a binding oath.

The end of the matter is this - Say what you mean.

Vengeance

Mt 5:38-42You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for
an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil;
but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other
also.If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let
him have your cloak also.Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with
him
two.Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away
him who desires to borrow from you.

'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' Ex
21:24 This is the basic concept of justice. Often we forget
this as
the popular philosophy today concerning the justice system is of
reform
rather than punishment. Thus, for example, people will argue for
or against
the death penalty based upon whether it "works" by deterring
further crime,
rather than viewing it as simply a just punishment for the crime
committed.

While the Bible advocates the application of justice, on an
individual
level there needs to be a degree of toleration of abuse. However,
I don't
believe that such "toleration" should be the decision of those
assigned
to execute justice. For it's easy enough to tolerate an abuser
when you're
not the victim. (A message to liberal judges) But
rather such
toleration should be the decision of the victim. The Bible
speaks
much of this toleration of suffering.

"if you suffer for doing good and
you
endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you
were called,
because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that
you should
follow in his steps." 1Peter 2:20,21

However this is not to say that justice should never be sought on
one's
own behalf. The idea of toleration is simply to behave as God does.
For
throughout the Bible we see that God is merciful, but puts a limit
on his
toleration of abuse.

"Or do you show contempt for the
riches
of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that
God's kindness
leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness
and your
unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for
the day
of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed."Romans
2:4,5

However, one should not take the law into their own hands.

Do not take revenge, my friends,
but
leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to
avenge; I
will repay," says the Lord."Romans 12:19

Rather one should defer to the authorities whom God has assigned
this task.
(Romans 13:1-6)
Ultimately God will recompense both the victim and perpetrator of crime.

Love Your Enemies

Mt 5:43-47You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall
love
your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies,
bless
those who curse youdo good to those who hate you, and pray for
those
who mistreat you and persecute you,that you may be children of your Father who is
in heaven.

For he makes his sun to rise on
the evil
and the good,and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what
reward do
you have?Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?If you only greet your friends, what more do
you do than others?Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

There is no actual command in the Bible to hate your enemies. But
the
Jewish Talmud, which is a sort of commentary on the Law,
says nothing
of love to enemies. For the religious leaders didn't really
understand
the spirit of the law. The Jews at the time were generally
prejudice. It
even took a while for the apostles to get over their prejudice.
They came
to look on members of the same tribe as neighbors as even Jews
everywhere.
But they hated the Samaritans who were half Jews who lived between
Judea
and Galilee, and of course Gentiles as well. But as children of
God we
should consider who are God's enemies and how has He treated them.
For
we all were God's enemies and how did God treat us?

Romans 5:10"For
if,
when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him
through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be
saved through his life!"

So we should love our enemies, but this is not to say that we
need to
like them. God loves those whom he may eventually send
to hell.
But that is not to say that he likes them. Else he would not require
them
to change. Though Jesus spent time with sinners, he didn't simply
talk
about whatever they wanted to talk about, playing their games. He
talked
about sin, repentance, reconciliation with God and proper behavior.
Jesus
also loved the Pharisees who had him put to death. But the way he
loved
them was by humiliating them. So also the Christian idea of the
practice
of "love" is not the same as what the world's impression may be.

But on the other hand this is not to say that one should be
unfriendly.
For here Jesus associates this love with greeting people. Though I
would
imagine one's enemies may not be so friendly in return.

Love vs Like

Just to digress on the previous interpretation which contrasts "love" and "like", Greek is much like English. In English we have distinct words for “love” and “like”, just as the Greek does, namely "agape" and "phileo". And we have only one word for “hate” and "dislike”. We say, “I hate that person”, and we say, “I hate vegetables”. The same in Greek where there is likewise no grammatical distinction between hate and dislike.

But there is a difference in connotation. For many words both in English
and Greek have more than one connotation. Just look through any
dictionary. How we distinguish between different connotations is not a
matter of syntax, but of interpretation from the context.

Note for example in Mt 5:44 Jesus said to love your enemies, and yet he also said, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”Luke 14:26

If “hate” can only be interpreted as the opposite of “love”, then this
is clearly a contradiction. But the answer is in the cross reference to
Luke 14:26. Namely Mt 10:37"He who loves(phileo) father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

This shows that the “hate” of Luke 14:26 is equivalent to “not liking as much” of Mt 10:37 And therefore, more generally, the Bible indicates that “hate” can mean “not liking”(phileo), which is not the same as not loving. For we are called to love (agape) those we dislike. Likewise in John 15:19 where
it states that the world loves (phileo) its own, but hates those who
belong to Christ. In fact the translations would do better if they
simply translating "agape" as "love" and "phileo" as "like", so that the
distinction can be seen, and the interpretation can be more easily
rendered.

Be Perfect

Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be
perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

This is both prophetic and imperative. The tense being used in
the Greek
is future. But just as in English, a future tense can also be used
as an
imperative. True that it is inevitable that one day we will be
perfect
concerning our attitudes and behavior, just as God is perfect. But
we should
also strive to that end even now.

The Greek word for "perfect" is often translated mature, as in Php
3:15a"All of us who are mature
should
take such a view of things." And 1Cor 14:20"Brothers,
stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but
in your
thinking be adults." Jesus is saying - grow up,
act mature,
behave as mature children of God should.

Let not Christians be lead astray into thinking Jesus is just
speaking
of ones position or standing before God. Rather he is speaking
with regards
to ones actual behavior as we note from the context. There's a
bumper sticker
that says, "Christians are not perfect, just forgiven."
That statement
is false. Christians are more than just forgiven.

"He who says, "I know Him," and
does
not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected
in him.
By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him
ought
himself also to walk just as He walked." 1John 2:4-6(NKJV)

In accordance with this command Jesus will now spend two chapters
speaking
on "A Behavior Devoid of Hypocrisy"

Secret Service Intro

Mt 6:1 Be careful that you don’t do
your charitable
giving before men, to be seen by them,or else you have no reward from your Father
who
is in heaven.

For the next 18 verses Jesus will be speaking on this subject,
the issue
being one's motivation for doing righteous works. It is not that
he is
saying we should abstain from acts of righteousness which are seen
by others,
for one can imagine very few which don't involve other people, but
given
the fact as Jeremiah says, "The heart is
deceitful
above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"Jer
9:27, one should try to avoid unnecessarily making their
good deeds
public.

Secret Service in Charity

Mt 6:2-4Therefore when you do
merciful
deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory
from men.
Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. But
when you
do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your
right hand
does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then
your Father
who sees in secret will reward you openly.

How you have decided to give is not the business of other
Christians."Each
man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not
reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2Cor
9:7
So as you are able, make your giving private. Avoid announcing to
others
your acts of charity, and if people ask you, try to put them off -
perhaps
quoting what Jesus says here.

Secret Service in Prayer

Mt 6:5,6When you pray, you
shall not
be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in
the synagogues
and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by
men.
Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But
you, when
you pray, enter into your inner chamber, and having shut your
door, pray
to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in
secret will
reward you openly.

Jesus is speaking by way of hyperbole. He is not against public
prayer
itself, but rather he speaking of motivation. However it is not
uncommon
even in the Christian community of some to be loud about their
Christianity
in public but subdued in private.

It is not inappropriate to seek for rewards.
"without
faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly
seek him."
Heb
11:6 And Jesus speaks much of rewards to those who follow
him. But
seeking praise from men is idolatry compared to seeking praise
from God.
John
12:43 "for they loved praise
from men more
than praise from God."

Brevity in Prayer

Mt 6:7,8 In praying, don’t use
vain
repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will
be heard
for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for
your Father
knows what things you need, before you ask him.

In prayer it is probably good not to treat God like He's an
idiot! People
have all kinds of bizzare ways of talking with God. For example
some interpret
the idea of "calling on the name of the
Lord"
to mean simply to chant "O Lord Jesus" over and over
again. What
if I said I'll call you up, and you answer your phone, but all you
hear
is your name being repeated again and again. What good is that?
And God
is not like some kind of machine that you use just the right
technique
or say just the right words or push the right buttons and you get
some
candy out of it. God is a personal being who is insulted if you
treated
him as the pagans do their idols.

And what's the point in praying things that you neither really
mean
nor may even understand? Talk to God from your heart, for "God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in
truth."John
4:24 I reckon it even inappropriate for unbelievers to be
coerced into
praying things that aren't really on their hearts nor singing
Christians
songs that they don't really believe. These are not in the spirit
of truth.
People should not speak vainly but honestly, especially when they
are talking
with God.

And "Do not be quick with your mouth, do
not be
hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in
heaven and
you are on earth, so let your words be few." Ec
5:2

The "Our Father" Overview

Mt 6:9-13 Pray like this:

Praise & Submission

Acknowledge His Position ‘Our Father in heaven,

Acknowledge His Holiness -His contempt of the presense of sin may your name be kept
holy.

Acknowledge His Lordship (It's a kingdom, not a democracy) Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done,
as
in heaven, so on earth.

Supplication

Ask for necessary provisions Give us today our daily
bread.

Deal with Sin Forgive us our debts,
as we
also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into
temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the
kingdom,
the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Hallowed be your name

Mt 6:9Our Father in heaven, may your
name
be kept holy.

Despite the context referring to private prayer (vs 6) the
corporate
word "our" is used throughout. For even in private prayer the
individual
Christians prays for the benefit of the whole. "In
Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to
all the
others."Rom 12:5 So when you pray for yourself,
pray likewise
for all other Christians as well.

Here God is addressed as "Father" which was a new way to address
God.
For up to that point He was addressed mainly as Lord. In fact
calling God
your own Father was reckoned blasphemy at the time. "For
this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only
was he
breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own
Father, making
himself equal with God." John 5:18 Of
course Jesus
was uniquely the Son of God. But Christians are sons in the sense
of adoption.
For "he predestined us to be adopted as his
sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will."
Eph 1:5 In fact Christians are not only adopted but are also
born of
God. For "everyone who believes that Jesus
is the
Christ is born of God"1John 5:1 This new
relationship with
God given to us through Jesus Christ gives us the right to call
God our
Father. And likewise "Jesus is not ashamed
to call
them brothers." Heb 2:11

The first thing Jesus presents in this prayer list is
acknowledging
and indeed affirming the holiness of God, which appears to be the
most
outstanding characteristic of God.

Isaiah 6:3And they were
calling
to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole
earth is full of his glory."

Revelation 4:8Each
of the
four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes
all around,
even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy
,
holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is,
and is to come."

"Hallowed by you name" is essentially
"May
you be reckoned Holy". Most commonly the Bible associates holiness
with
separation from sin. For example just after Isaiah's vision of God's
holiness
in Isaiah 6:3 he says, "Woe to me!" I cried.
"I am
ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people
of unclean
lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."Is
6:5 More generally "holy" is simply "separate and special".
Thus for
example God is special in that we are to worship God and no other.
Christians
are to actively pray and pursue the perception of God's holiness to
a world
which holds a corrupt view of God.

Your Kingdom Come

Mt 6:10 Let your kingdom come.
Let your
will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

It's a kingdom, not a democracy. "He died
for
all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves
but for him
who died for them and was raised again."2Cor 5:15
For as
Jesus will note in the next chpater, "Not
everyone
who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only
he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."Mt
7:21
And just as Jesus said, "I have come down
from heaven
not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." John
6:38, likewise for the Christian. The Christian life is
lived in service
to God. In everything we do we must ask the question as to what
God would
want us to do as well as what he wants us not to do. (i.e.
1Thess
4:3 and the like)

Daily Provision

Mt 6:11Give us today our daily bread.

This is not a prayer for luxuries but for necessary provisions.
And
notice its brevity. For as Jesus had just stated in verse 7,8
"when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they
think they
will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them,
for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him."

But then why pray at all? Because God wants us to exercise our
faith
by acknowledging our dependence upon him and that what we have
comes from
him. This attitude also results in being thankful, which also
keeps our
hearts from being corrupted, as it is written of the unthankful,
"although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor
gave thanks
to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish
hearts were
darkened."Rom 1:21

So today pray to God concerning those things which you normally
take
for granted.

Forgive as We Forgive

Mt 6:12,14,15Forgive us our debts, as
we
also forgive our debtors. ... For if you forgive men their
trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t
forgive men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.

This principle is perhaps best illustrated in Jesus' parable
of the unforgiving servant Now unless there is significant
ignorance
on their part, realize that Jesus is not saying that if you
forgive those
who refuse to repent, God will forgive you even if you refuse to
repent.
Rather the principle is "Forgive as the
Lord forgave
you."Col 3:13b So just as the forgiveness of our
sins is
contingent upon our intention to repent, likewise is God's
expectation
as to how we treat others. For even in the parable we note the
servants
expressed their intention to repent of their debt.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Mt 6:13 Bring us not into temptation,
but
deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power,
and
the glory forever. Amen.’

By "temptations" Jesus is referring to trials of one form or
another.
And there are times when God will in fact lead us into temptation,
but
He himself doesn't tempt us.

Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was
led
by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

And trials offer some positive benefits
But if we don't pray for deliverance from trials we may receive more
than
our fair share of them. Even Jesus prayed, "My
Father,
if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but
as you will." Mt 26:39 and likewise Paul requested
that the
Christians "pray that we may be delivered
from wicked
and evil men, for not everyone has faith."2
Thessalonians
3:2

But if we do enter into a temptation make no excuses.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But
when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you
can stand
up under it." 1Cor 10:13

Secret Service in Fasting

Mt 6:16-18Moreover when you fast,
don’t be
like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure
their faces,
that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most assuredly I
tell you,
they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint
your head,
and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting,
but
by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in
secret, will
reward you.

A Christian's service to God is to be modest, unassuming,
exhibiting
no pretensions, boastfulness, or ostentation. Jesus indicates
there is
virtue in giving the appearance that you're doing less for God
than you're
actually doing. For the flesh would have us give the appearance
that we
are doing more for God than we are actually doing. So part of the
struggle
with the flesh is walking humbly with God. More generally there
are those
who like to make a big show about the restrictions they place upon
themselves,
just to impress others. The spirit of Biblical fasting should be
one of
humility. Yet often those who are legalistic end up communicating
a different
spirit.

The Lord speaks more on fasting in Isaiah saying
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the
chains of
injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed
free and
break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide
the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to
clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"Is
58:6,7
Seems fasting is less about ourselves and more about others. That
is we
are to not be ostentatious about the sacrifices we make for
others.

Your Heart and Your Treasure

Mt 6:19-21 Don’t lay up treasures
for
yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where
thieves
break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break
through
and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also

So if your heart is where your treasure is, then if your treasure
is
stolen or corrupted so will your heart be stolen and corrupted. So
better
to invest in the things which are eternal. See Investing
in an HRA Besides, this verse also gives us a
clue as to
how to change our heart's desire. For if your heart is where your
treasure
is, then if you want to change your heart away from sinful things,
don't
invest yourself in them. And if you want to change your heart to
godly
things, then invest yourself in them. This is particularly
effective against
greediness. The most effective way to overcome greediness is by
practicing
generosity. Though your heart may not be in it at first,
inevitably it
will be.

Spiritual Discernment

Mt 6:22,23 The lamp of the body is
the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be
full of
light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of
darkness.
If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is
the darkness!

"The eye is the lamp of the body" in that our perception
affects
our whole behavior. If you cannot perceive what is true, just, and
holy,
then your lifestyle will be characterized by darkness, both
mentally and
morally.

But realize also that people who are spiritually blind are not
innocent
victims, but have become that way by responding to what God has
revealed
to them in an inappropriate manner.

"They are darkened in their
understanding
and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that
is in
them due to the hardening of their hearts."Eph
4:18

"The wrath of God is being
revealed from
heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who
suppress the
truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is
plain to
them, because
God has made it plain to them. For since the creation
of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and
divine nature--
have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that
men
are without excuse. For although they knew God, they
neither glorified
him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking
became futile
and their foolish hearts were darkened." Rom
1:18-21

Let this also be a warning to us, who claim to be children of light.
For
if we don't respond properly to what God reveals to us, our
spiritual maturity
and effectiveness will be hindered.

Serve the One

Mt 6:24No one can serve two masters,
for
either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be
devoted
to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

A person who loves money cannot love God. And besides, "Whoever
loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is
never satisfied
with his income." Ecc 5:10 Consequently "the
love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager
for money,
have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many
griefs."
1Tim
6:10

The "Prosperity Gospel" has elements of this in its
obsession
over health and wealth. Money should be viewed not as an end, but
as a
tool - not as master, but as slave. God, on the other hand,
is not
to be viewed as our slave but our Master. This is often not the
case for
those who keep asking God for stuff with little intention of
obeying His
commands.

Don't Worry

Mt 6:25-30 Therefore, I tell you,
don’t
be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you
will drink;
nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more
than food,
and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky,
that they
don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your
heavenly Father
feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? Which
of you,
by being anxious, can add one cubit to the measure of his life?
Why are
you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they
grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that
even Solomon
in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so
clothes
the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown
into
the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little
faith?

Therefore "Keep your lives free from the
love
of money and be content with what you have, because God has
said, "Never
will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Heb 13:5
"Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
of God,
which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds
in Christ Jesus."Php 4:6,7

But realize also that not worrying is not the same as doing
nothing.
It doesn't say, "do nothing". It says "Don't worry". Though at
times, in
fact, inaction is the right action. That is, not to get caught up
in the
things of this world. The idea is not so much "don't worry" as it
is "don't
let worldly concerns distract you significantly from spiritual
concerns."
"No
one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs— he
wants to
please his commanding officer." 2Tim 2:4

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is
short.
From now on those who have wives should live as if they had
none;
those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if
they were
not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to
keep; those
who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them.
For this
world in its present form is passing away." 1Cor
7:29-31

God Provides Necessities

Mt 6:31-34 Therefore
don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we
drink?’ or,
‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all
these things,
for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But
seek
first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things
will be
given to you as well. Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for
tomorrow
will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

As a general observation the Psalmist writes,
"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the
righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread. They are always generous and
lend freely;
their children will be blessed."Ps 37:25,26 What
is promised
is not luxuries, but necessities in order that one make seek God
relatively
free from distraction. The general principle is that if a person
seeks
God, God works in such a way as to help free that person from
other distractions.
Now that may mean that He may actually remove certain things which
cause
distraction. But He also provides for actual needs as well. Each
day does
have trouble of its own. But such things are managable for those
who seek
God. This is the general principle Jesus was teaching.

Hypocritical Judgment

Mt 7:1-5 Don’t judge, so that you
won’t
be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be
judged; and
with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why
do you
see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider
the beam
that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let
me remove
the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
You
hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you
can
see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

When he says, "Do not judge, or you too
will be
judged." he is speaking in a proverbial fashion. This is
not a prohibition
but rather he's speaking of a general principle much as these two
proverbs
say:

Proverbs 26:4"Don’t
answer a
fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him."Proverbs 26:5 "Answer a fool
according
to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes."

Jesus is speaking of the expected consequences in judging others.
Consequences
of which He himself experienced as he actively judged others,
telling them
of their sin. And as I had noted recently Jesus said to some
unbelievers,
"The
world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what
it does
is evil."John 7:7 So if you want the world to
love you,
don't say anything bad about it. But don't think in doing so you're
walking
as Jesus did.

In fact besides Jesus' example, Paul also commands Christians to
judge
others. Paul writes, "What business is it
of mine
to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge
those inside?
God will judge those outside. 'Expel the wicked man from among
you.'"1Cor
5:12,13

If you judge others, they will naturally judge you. This is
simply human
nature. Just try it yourself. Tell someone what's wrong with them,
and
almost inevitably they will tell you what's wrong with you. That's
one
thing Jesus was talking about. So be prepared to accept criticism
when
you correct others.

But secondly make sure that your own sin is not distorting your
perspective
concerning other people. That is "first take
the
plank out of your own eye." For the innocent are often
subjected
to slanderous accusations by those who feel they are morally
superior,
but who in fact have been blinded by their own sin. Such is the
case throughout
the gospels concerning the Pharisees and religious leaders against
Jesus.
And “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with
righteous judgment."John 7:24

Pearls to Swine

Mt 7:6Don’t give that which is holy
to the
dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they
trample
them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

The way the Jews would understand this is not to share spiritual
things
with Gentiles or Samaritans. But Jesus was not so racist. Rather
he was
speaking of the unspiritual. For was it not the Jewish hypocrites
in the
religious community who ended up trampling him and tearing him to
pieces?
But he does try to share with them spiritual things to a degree
here and
Matt 23 even more explicitly as well as in John chapter 8. One
could argue
in fact that the real reason Jesus was crucified was not because
of his
claims about himself so much as his humiliating the religious
leaders.

Once again I point out that this is not a command, but a proverb.
This
figure of speech should be understood as "Generally speaking, if
this,
then that", rather than be interpreted as a command. It speaks of
a principle,
but as a truism it is wise to follow and not to give mockers more
spiritual
truth than they need. Though you'll end up giving them more than
they want.
And when they end up mocking you sometimes the best response is
none at
all. What is further implied here, and what indeed we see in
Jesus' ministry
is to spend most of your efforts on those who are receptive.

Here are some pearls to swine proverbs:

Proverbs 9:7 Whoever
corrects
a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs
abuse.Proverbs 9:8Do not rebuke a
mocker
or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.Proverbs 23:9Do not speak to
a
fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

Ask and Seek believing in God's goodness

Mt 7:7-11 Ask, and it will be
given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened
for you.
For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who
knocks it
will be opened. Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks
him for
bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish,
who will
give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father who is in
heaven give
good things to those who ask him!

These are to be taken in the same context as 6:24-34 in the
seeking
of his kingdom and righteousness and not as in the Prosperity
Gospel's
false concepts of viewing God as our personal slave pandering to our every desire. Jesus is not speaking
of a
law that God is obligated to obey and by which we can manipulate
God for
our selfish ends. Rather he is presenting God as our Father who
has our
best interest in mind. Granted there are many fathers today who
don't understand
their own role and view themselves as simply slaves to their
children,
and rather than raising them they simply give them whatever they
ask, whether
it's good for them or not. But God is not that way.

Jesus is speaking not of a law, but a proverbial truism, a
general principle.
Generally speaking if you ask for something which is good for you,
God
will give it. Though God may withhold it if he has something
better in
mind. The subject of our asking should be good gifts and not bad
gifts.
But the unspiritual may end up getting things backwards in their
asking,
and whining enough God may indeed give us what might be perceived
as bad
gifts. For Israel complained against God and doubt His goodness
whining
for meat in the desert, and God gave them quail, along with a
disease and
leanness of spirit, because what they needed was discipline and
humility.
That was the good gift he gave them. So ask for that which is
actually
good for you and generally God will give that to you. The emphasis
here
is not that God is our slave, but rather that God loves us.

And if you need wisdom to know what good thing to ask of God.

The Golden Rule

Mt 7:12Therefore whatever you desire
for
men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law
and the
prophets.

This verse ends his dissertation on living according to the
spirit of
the Law. This is the summary principle of the Law and Prophets. "Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you" has come
to be known
as the "Golden Rule", also called the "Royal Law" in James 2:8"
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,
"Love your
neighbor as yourself," you are doing right." And The
entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor
as yourself."
Gal
5:14

The commandments, "Do not commit
adultery,"
"Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever
other commandment
there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your
neighbor as yourself."
Rom
13:9

Perhaps this is also why Christians don't study the Old Testament as
much
as the New, seeing as much of it can be summarized in a single
sentence.
But then again, consider that through the Law and the Prophets God
expressed
his ideas of loving others. So if you want to learn to love others,
then
it would be good if you studied the Law and the Prophets. The Law
and the
Prophets is all about loving others.

The Narrow Gate

Mt 7:13-14Enter in by the
narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to
destruction, and
many are those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and
restricted
is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

The Christian faith is philosophically narrow and as such it is
common
for people to deviate from the truth. Jesus said,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except
through me."John 14:6 Some would claim
this to be
narrow minded along with much of what the Bible says. But that's
the way
it is. "Salvation is found in no one else,
for there
is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved."Acts
4:12

Jesus said that few find the way to salvation.Someone
asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He
said to
them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,
because many,
I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the
owner of
the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside
knocking
and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer,
‘I don’t
know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and
drank
with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I
don’t know
you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’" Luke
13:23-27 Even among those claiming to be "Christian" it may
be few
will be saved, let alone outsiders who don't even seek the Lord
and those
of other religions. Therefore make every effort to enter in while
you have
a chance.

Wolves

Mt 7:15-16 Beware of false prophets,
who come
to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By
their
fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or
figs from
thistles?

One of the things which Christians are instructed to do is the be
watchful
concerning a number of things. In this case Christians should be
on their
guard against false prophets. False prophets are those who teach
significant
misapplications of God's Word. The apostle Paul warned the elders
of the
church at Ephesus saying, "I know that
after I leave,
savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the
flock.
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth
in order
to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember
that for
three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day
with tears."
Acts
20:29-31 In fact much of the content of the New Testament
letters,
Paul, Peter, Jude, John, etc, deals with false teachings. Thus to
be prepared
to identify such things one should get familiar with the New
Testament
letters. But also they can be identified by the effect they have.

Mt 7:17-20Even so, every
good tree
produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A
good tree
can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce
good fruit.
Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown
into the
fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

And this goes both ways. One can identify those born of God by
the fruit
they bear as well. For more see also:

Vain Words

Mt 7:21-23 Not everyone who says
to
me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he
who does
the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will tell me in that
day,
‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast
out demons,
and in your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I
never
knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

It is vain to call Jesus Lord if we don't treat Him as Lord by
doing
what He says, else such an exercise of "faith" has no salvific
value. If a person even prophecies and purportedly does miracles,
does that
mean that such a person is saved? No!

"I never knew you" This cannot be said of
those
who hypothetically were born of God at one point and then lost
their salvation,
since Jesus could not have said of such people "I never knew you".
Rather
these people were never saved to begin with. "Knew" is ginosko,
which is
personal, relational knowledge. It is interesting that he doesn't
say,
"You never knew Me", although this is quite apparent as well. But
didn't
God know them? Not in the sense of having established a personal
relationship
with them as He has with his children. Eternal life is knowing God
personally.

John 17:3 Now this is
eternal
life: that they may know you, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.

Application Oriented Faith

Mt 7:24-27"Everyone therefore who
hears these
words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who
built
his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the
winds
blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was
founded on
the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do
them will
be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain
came down,
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and
it fell—and
great was its fall."

What is a sure foundation? "For no one can
lay
any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus
Christ." 1Cor
3:11

Only application oriented faith saves, and one which is established upon Jesus
Christ. Those who don't apply the word are doomed to destruction. This is an
identifying mark between those in the Christian community born of God and those
born of the devil. Whether the foundation of one's faith is based upon Christ
(the rock) or not may not be evident at first, but will be revealed as trials
come (as also in the parable of the sower.) Again realize that it’s not saying
that one must do works – even works of faith – to be saved. For salvation is not
pre-conditioned on works, but on faith. But inherent in saving faith is the
intention to apply one’s faith. A person is saved by faith, and then as a saved
person he applies his faith in works of faith, which then is an outward
indication that the person has been saved.

Authority

Mt 7:28,29It happened, when
Jesus had
finished saying these things, that the multitudes were astonished
at his
teaching, for he taught them with authority, and not like
the scribes.

The Pharisees taught simply mindless rules and regulations
without understanding
the purpose behind these, and they would quote one another rather
than
speaking authoritatively. But Jesus taught as the author and
creator who
understood the sense and spirit behind the Law. He could reveal
the big
picture while the others were caught up in details. The Pharisees
were
like engineers who tried to reverse engineer a complex design
without understanding
what they were doing. While Jesus was the original designer and
spoke from
that perspective.